10 Best Web-based APPS and CSS Tools for Developers

The use of tools has made modern CSS development a lot easier. There are numerous resources such as tools, CSS libraries, automated scripts and Web Apps which make building websites much easier and they come free too. In this article, we explore some of the best CSS tools and web apps which can come in handy for developers.

PortCSS

This development tool is favored among users of npm; it makes use of JavaScript-based plug-ins to help you automate some rather routine CSS operations. It comes free and is an in-between CSS-Js libraries. You’re sure to build on your development skills with this tool.

Sierra Library

This is a cool UI library for Saas. It comes free for download and is the entire open source and accessible for use in working on your project.

Easy to customize, there are options which allow you to change colors, grids, typography and any or every other thing you wish. The source code is hosted on Github. It functions as a small Bootstrap library with more focus on SCSS/Sass.

SassMeister

SassMeister prides itself as the Sass playground. It is a free Web app which helps you play around with code and Sass. It helps render your Sass in CSS format. Being an online web app, you’re saved the hassle of having to initiate and run it locally on your system. It offers a cleaner excellent experience than Codepen.

Both experts and beginners will find it a helpful resource. What’s more, it’s support for 3rd party libraries mean you can easily share your Gists online.

Compass

For most front-end Sass developers, Compass has proven to be not only a robust framework but also a very trusted resource. It comes as a set of tools which run on Sass, Making development almost a breeze. Some new developers may get confused regarding what Compass exactly does. Picture it like post CSS, only that it runs directly through terminal when executing your Sass file commands.

Prior knowledge of Sass only makes it way easier to get the hang of Compass.

CSS MenuMaker

For a variety of important navigation menu styles, CSS MenuMaker is your go to the Web app. You’re sure to find many flying, drop downs and solution crafted with CSS.

Plug-ins are available for Dreamweaver and WordPress but these come at a cost. So also does access code. However, it’s free to browse menus, edit them to have a feel for how they work, with a possibility of reverse-engineering the code by yourself.

The Ultimate CSS generator

There are many CSS generators out there that churn out the code for box shadows, gradients, and even custom shapes. How about having all these tools housed on one website?

Web code tools generator does the job. The page houses tools which allows you to do so much and they all come free.

You’re presented with live updates while generating settings together with code output and icons which shows you supported browsers.

ScoutApp

ScoutApp is a Sass/Compass GUI which works on Mac, Linux, and Windows environments. It is a simple way for developers to get in on dynamic CSS. ScoutApp helps you organize templates, CSS files, boiler templates and others, much like a project management system.

As the stress on learning terminal commands is reduced, designers can focus on organizing their projects without having to become masters of programming.

Koala app

This GUI app takes on Sass, Compass, CoffeeScript and Less, all in one place. It has a remarkably cool interface and is made for all three major operating systems. It comes with numerous custom error notifications, compiling options and others to keep you abreast of all your projects and help you stay organized.

Bourbon

Although there are many mixin libraries out there, Bourbon is a unique and valuable offering for developers working with Sass. It comes free and is a mixin library which allows development of automated values and vendor prefixes.

As stated earlier, it is a mixin library, not a Scripting library. Prior knowledge of Sass is necessary to get the most out of Bourbon.

Sass Compiler

This Sass compiler from BeautifyTools can help you automatically generate code based on pre-formatted setting and structure. Thus tools help you convert raw SCSS to CSS. This is an excellent tool for CSS workflow with its many features.

Conclusion

No one tool does everything instead, having the right set of tools gives you flexibility and almost limitless option. The outlined tools above are designed for the CSS developer to get the job done.